Method of making dental attachments



May 3, 1927. 1,626,720

H. E. s. CHAYES I METHOD OF MAKING DENTAL ATTACHMENTS filed Feb. 1925 5 W mjvzmoa Z@ %RNEY Patented May 3; 1927.

A 1 UNITED STAT" are r'rnnMAN E. s. oH YEs; or NEWYORK, 1min, ASSIGNOR To CI-IAYES DENTAL INSTRU-l rforiC-E.

MENT CORPORATION, on NEW YORK, N. Y.',' A oo'nronnrrron on DELAWARE. 1

METHOD or MAKING DENTAL 'nr'rncnntnnrs.

Application filed Februa'ry 21, 1925. Serial No. 10,782.

This invention relates to a process for making metal anchor members for use in dental bridge work and also to'the article produced in carrying out the process;

A general object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacture of" dental anchors by which the articles can'be produced in relatively large quantities at a correspondingly low cost. 1

The invention includes the use of rolling operations to form an elongated "bar so shaped in cross-section that the mere division of the barinto sectionsproduces the finished articles. p

Another feature of the invention'resides in the formation on the bar of a flange member adapted to be folded or bent on itself to provide a spring jawmember which will function to-exert pressure against the wall of a socket in which the completed anshoring member may be seated.

' 'Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an anchoring device having a substantially T-shaped section with the head portion folded back on itself along a lateral edge to provide aspring' aw construction. I

Otherfeatures of theinvention will be hereinafter referred to.

In thedrawings, in which'a preferred embodiment of the invention has been selected for illustration, 1

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of a round bar orwire from which the article is produced. a

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing an initialstep in a rolling and forming operation which forms part of the invention.

Figure 3 isa sectional view of the stock when it hasbeen'subjected to tbeforming operation shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is 'view similar to Figure 2 showing another rolling operation to which the blank is subjected. V 1

F igure 5' shows" the, article when it" has {been subjected to the forming operation shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows the l appearance ofthe article after it has been subjected to a still further forming operation.

Figure 7 is a view showing the articlev when it has been subjected to a bending operation. v g Figure 8 is'a view similar to Figure 7 showing the-article-when the fold shown Figure 7 has been moved to closed position.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the article when it has, been subected to a shavlng or SlZlIlg operatlon.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing the. article with the fold movedto partially opened position. 1 I 1 Figure 11 is a-perspective "view showing in disassembled relation a completed an choring device resulting from the carrying out of the operative steps referred to in the previous figures andalso showing a socket member in which received. I

Referring to the drawings fora more 'de tailed description of the invention, in Fig ure' 1 there is shown a round wire or rod 10 which forms the stock or material from which the hereinafter described'product is formed. The rod or wire section 10- is formed of metal impervious to acid and other devlc'es are sub- M conditions to which dental jected in actual use. 1 I t i The first step in the operation of producing dental anchoring devices from the round the anchoring device is wire or rod 10 consistsin passing the wire" section 10 longitudinally between the pe riphery of an anvil roller'll and a pair of forming rollers 12 and 13 as is clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. It will be seen that the forming rollers 12 and 13 are placed at an angle to'eaoh o therand to the anvil roller 11 so that the wire 10 as it is drawn between the peripheries of' the rollers is formed into a shape hav ng approximately :1 T cross-section. The particular formation provided by the first passage of the stock between therollersshown in Figure 2 is "shown 'in cross-section in Figure 3 of the drawing and it will beseenthat a base portion 14 has alateral extension in both directions andthat an upright ridge or stemportion 15 is initially formed in'this firstop- I erative step.

Referring'again to Figure 2 of the draw- 111g a downward pressure 1s exerted onthe rollers 12 and .13 which are'placed somewhat'to one'side, toward theleft-h'and-in Figure 2, so that the flangemember 15 which is pressed up between the confront ing margins 16 of the rollers 12andfl13 is located to the left of, the center ofthe .mass

of materialunder operation. The laterally distance laterally of the extension produced in the base portion on the other side of the .1

m.aterial n the s ock 1 ridge. This unequal distribution of the material inthe base member on: opposite sides of; the ridge is equivalent to saying that theridge 15 is, displaced laterally as has already been pointed out. .The purpose of the unequal distribution of the materialin thebase portion on opposite sides of the ridge member 15 will be hereinafter res ferred to.

9 Following the initial step of operation r which produces the cross-section shown in Figure v 3. of the drawing, I the partially termed member 10 is again ,sub ected to. a

rolling operation as is shown in Figure 4 oftlie drawing. In the rolling operation shown in Figure 4, the relative positions of the rollers 11, 12" and 13; is such that the base portiO 14, Ofthe stock 10 is greatly reduced in thickness, while the ridge portion '15 is extended in height and correspondingly reduced in thickness. The resulting formation produced byoperation shown in Figure 4 0i the drawing sdisclosed in Figure 5.

- i Followingthe operation which produces the T-shaped bar shown i Fig'llre 5 0f the drawing, the stock is; again subjected to a I rolling operation similar to those, already described which results in a still greater reduction in thickness of the base member 14 and an increase in height and corresponding decrease in thickness of the ridge or body portion 15 as is clearly shown in Figure 6 of i the: drawing.

spec-tion of Figure 6. thatthe-base member 14 has been so greatly reduced in thickness withia corresponding increase in width that the-carrying out of a bending or folding op-' oration which results in a formation such as, is shown 1n Figure 7 of the drawing can I be accomplished. The bending operation refer-red to'produces a bend or foldin the base portioncltalong the line 1Z, the distance betweenthe lineof f ld17 and thebody portion being the same or substantially the same asthe distance between the body portion 15 and the edge portion of the base member 14 on the other side of: thebody portion. The ,folded portion 18 of thebase portion is bent into. a position at an angle to the main portion of the, base member as is. clearly shown in Figure 7.

followinguthe bendingor folding oporation which results in the formation shown in Figure 7 of the drawing the formed stock is: subjected: to a' suitable annealing operation It will be seen from an into restore the condition of the metal following the hardening eifects produced therein by the working operations referred to.

Following the annealing operation the stock is subject d t ani per tive step ch produces aj'closing offthe told 18 against the base portion 14 in the manner shown in' Fig ure 8 of the drawing.

Following the closing operation which produces the formation shown in Figure 8,'

the stock is subjected to a suitable shaving or cutting operat1on. which reduces the device to its final or ultimate size and-form; The result of the shaving operationreferred to is shown in F1gure9 of the drawing I Following the sizingoperation the formed article is subjected to an opening operation which leaves the told 18 in a position slightly spaced from the base portion 14 sothat'these parts tend to separate. from each other and thereby exert pressure against the walls of a socket in which they may be placed for use.

The elongated. formed and T-shaped bar shown in Figure 10'ot the drawing is divided into sections of such length that-the individual parts have a, sufiicient helght or length to fit into socket members, such as are I shown at 19 in Figure ll of the drawing, the socket members 19 being formedto be seated in the, body of pier teeth inv a dental bridging operation. In dividing the elongated T- shaped bar shown in FigurelO into the short 1 sections; 20- shown inFigur-e. 1,1 of the draw-, ing the body portion 15. now becomes astem member and the parts; 14 and 18 in Figure 10 become a flange or head member adapted to be rcceivedifn the socket member19 shown also in this figure. The stem portion- 15 of the dental anchoring member shown-in Figure 11 has a less height orlength than ,that

of the head portion made up of the parts 14 and 18. The diminished length. of the stem portion 15 is efiected by removing a Section of the lower portion thereof so that the length of the stem portion [which remainsv is the same or substantiallythe same as the lengthof a vertical slot 21 formedin the side of the socket memberl9 showninthis figure. The resnltis that the lower end portion of the head member 14+18 extends below the lower end oi' the' slot 21 into the base portion of the socket 19 to thereby provide an efifective anchoring function; r

It will be seen that the spring jaw members 14 and 18 which make up the head portion of the anchoring member 20 are united along one 0t their edges and that they bend along the line otjuncture or fold 1 to adapt themselves to the interior of the socket member 19. The outward spring pressure which is exerted by the member 18 produces an adequate frictional engagement with the inner wall of the socket member to prevent accidental removal of the anchoring member 20. from; the socket 19... Atthe, same p of the flange on the other side, in folding time the resilient nature of the frictional engagement of the parts provides a desirable adjustability and flexible adaptation of the parts to each other under the varying strains to which they are subjected.

The method of manufacture of dental anchoring device which has been described is capable of producing the articles at a low cost of production since the forming operations which are produced by rolling wire or rod stock into elongated shapes of suitable cross-section, are relatively inexpensive to carry out. The subsequent folding, annealing and sizing operations are also capable of being carried out at a relatively low cost. The'flnal transverse cutting operations by which the individual anchoring devices are cut from the T-shapedbar stock and the removal of a section from each resulting stem member can be quickly and inexpensively produced on automatic ma chines, so that the whole method of opera tion leads to the production of the described anchoring members in relatively large quantities and at a correspondingly low cost.

What is claimed is 1. That process for making dental anchoring devices which consists in subjecting an elongated piece of metal to a forming operation to produce therein a T-shaped crosssection in which the flange on one sideof the stem has a greater width than the flange on the other side, in folding the flange on itself, and in dividing the formed andfolded member thus produced transversely into sections to provide the finished articles.

2. That process for making dental anchoring devices which consist in subjecting an elongated piece of metal to a rolling operation to produce therein a T-shaped crosssection in which the flange on one side of the stem has substantially triple the width ing devices which consists insubjecting an v elongated metal rod to a rolling operation to produce therein a T-shaped cross-see tion in which the'flangeon one side of the stem has a greater width than the flange on the other side, in folding the flange on itself, in subjecting the formed and folded member. to a sizing operation, and indivjiding the formed andfolded 'member transversely into sections to provide the finished articles. 3 v

4, That process for making dental anchoring devices which consists in subjecting an elongated section of round wire to a series of rolling operations to produce therein a' T-shaped cross-section in which the flange on one side of the stem has a greater width than the flange on the other side, in folding the flange to a partly closed position on itself, and in dividing the formed and folded member into sections to provide the finished articles. I

5. That process formaking dental anchoring devices which consists in subjecting an elongated metal rod to arolling operationto produce therein a T-shaped cross section in which the flange on one side of the stem has a greater width than the flange on the other side, in folding the flange to a partly closed position, in annealing the formed rod, in completely closing the folded flange, in subjecting the formed rod to a sizing op eration, in partly opening the folded flange, and in dividing the formed and folded member transversely into sections.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

HERMAN E. s CHAYES; 

